I'm Lo and this is my life in T.O.

Things I love right now

Now that this ridiculous winter appears to finally be going away (pretty please go away), I’m starting to come out of hibernation. I have basically spent all non-work time in my semi-warm, basement apartment with my cat. I’m not complaining; we’ve had some great times together my cat and I, and I have kept pretty busy down there. But I’m very much looking forward to stepping outside and socializing again now that it is getting warmer.

While hibernation has been great for accomplishing some personal goals, it hasn’t made for a lot of share-worthy news. So in the absence of exciting adventures, I’m listing off some of the things that have made winter a pretty happy time.

MyFitnessPal – You may remember that I made healthy living a priority for the year and I’m very happy to report that I have made some positive progress with it thanks in large part to the app MyFitnessPal. I have logged all of my meals and snacks, as well as exercise, since the beginning of January and the app has helped me make better meal choices and has motivated me to work out five days a week (with my rotation of Jillian Michaels’ workout videos and the occasional run). It’s the best app ever! Seriously! I’m also happy to report, that as a result, I have reached my goal weight, which is a number I haven’t seen for many years. Like probably since I was in school. I have no plans to stop using the app or to slow down my new wellness regime.

Duolingo – Another app that I have become obsessed with. It’s a language app that helps users learn a language. So for me, I am brushing up on my five years of French lessons and trying to become somewhat fluent. Learning more French has been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m thrilled to be working on it with a free tool. Yup, Duolingo is free and the lessons are short and fun and highly addictive. Just please, don’t test me on my French. I’m not ready to practice in the real world. Merci.

Sweet potato burritos – Burrito Boyz has opened near my office and it has quickly become my favourite lunch spot. I always order the sweet potato burrito – either as a full burrito or a burrito bowl – and I’m obsessed with it. Chipotle should really follow suit and offer sweet potato burritos on their menu. Although, I probably would get sick of them if they did. Sweet potato burritos are all I have craved this winter. Sorry cheeseburgers.

Songza – yup, another app. One that has playlists full of 90s music. Which is pretty much all I want to listen to. Brings me back to highschool. And all my crushes. Playlists with music from the early 2000s are pretty great too. There’s been a lot of desk dancing thanks to Songza.

Soda Stream – I have written about my love of cola beverages many times as well as my desire to one day give up my love for the super sugary drink. My new Soda Stream is helping because I’m buying less pop and consuming less sugar. Plus, Soda Stream doesn’t use any electricity, so it’s basically the best appliance ever.

The Good Wife – I started this post last week, so before the gut-wrenching, shocking development that changed the show this past Sunday. I decided to still include this newfound love, even though I’m fairly certain I will like it less now that my favourite part of the show is gone, because it is really well-done. After watching the first four seasons on Netflix, I’m mad at myself for jumping on the bandwagon so late. Like I have with basically everything else I love.

My niece – There really doesn’t need to be an explanation for this, which is why I have included it at the end instead of devoting the whole post to my love for her. My niece continues to be the best person who ever lived and my biggest source of joy. I love her so much. She’s almost 10 months now and she’s crawling, giggling and making all sorts of noise. Noise that I’m convinced sounds like “Aunt Laura is the best”. I’m so grateful that I get to spend so much time with her.

So there you have it – a glimpse into my current, happy state. These past three months have been pretty great! And of course, I have just jinxed myself for the rest of the year.